To call the original blockchain the “execution layer” and the enhanced Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain the “consensus layer,” the Ethereum Foundation has removed all references to “Eth1” and “Eth2.”
Problem with Eth2 branding
The highly anticipated transition of Ethereum (ETH) from their current Proof-of-Work (PoW) mining model to a PoS consensus mechanism is expected to occur in the second or third quarter of this year.
The Ethereum Foundation recently noted that Eth2’s branding failed to capture what was actually happening to the network. About this they said the following:
“A major problem with the Eth2 branding is that it creates a fractured mental model for new Ethereum users. They intuitively think that Eth1 comes first and Eth2 next. Or that Eth1 ceases to exist once Eth2 exists.”
To this, the Ethereum Foundation then added:
“Neither is true. By removing Eth2 terminology, we save all future users from having to navigate this confusing mental model.”
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New terminology
The execution layer (Eth1) and the consensus layer (Eth2) are labeled as Ethereum in the new terminology, while the individual features, such as ‘Beacon Chain’ and ‘Sharded Chains’ are now labeled as upgrades.
According to the Ethereum Foundation, the rebrand will also help bring clarity. Many scammers now make use of the fact that the transition was sometimes difficult to formulate. For example, a lot of uncertainty was created by the scammers, including the issuance of special ETH2 tokens. The Ethereum Foundation says the following about this:
“Unfortunately, malicious actors have tried to misname Eth2 to scam users by telling them to exchange their ETH for ‘ETH2’ tokens or to somehow migrate their ETH before the Eth2 upgrade .”
Improving scalability and capacity
When the transition to the PoS consensus mechanism is complete, there will be one remaining milestone of Ethereum’s current roadmap: the ‘Shard Chains’ upgrade. It is expected to come into effect at the end of this year or perhaps early 2023.
These ‘Shard-Chains’ ensure that the network load of Ethereum is distributed over 64 new chains. This has a positive effect on the scalability and capacity of the network. Ethereum is making great strides towards its new, long-awaited upgrade.